MPDTT 335 Posted March 27, 2020 Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 I hope everyone's been ok on the jobs front with the amount of redundancies and furloughing going on. As a reminder, I work in HR and am happy to help with any questions that come up, particularly relating to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Link to post Share on other sites
Grecian 511 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 So Mrs Grecian has been put on furlough, as of 1st April as part of the Government scheme. However, she works for a small company, and the owner has said he'd 'appreciate it enormously if people continued to work while on furlough'. All the paperwork she's been given states that she shouldn't work. Does anyone know if the Government will be running checks on this? If she does get caught out, is it on her or the company? Link to post Share on other sites
Paid Members johnnyboy 4,210 Posted March 29, 2020 Paid Members Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 8 minutes ago, Grecian said: 'appreciate it enormously if people continued to work while on furlough' No idea about the legal responsibility but if they want them to work why are they furloughing them? Link to post Share on other sites
Bicurious Dad 1,014 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 government will cover 80% of wages, so it'll cost them less but they won't lose productivity. Basically taking advantage, won't be the only ones. If it gets caught it'll be on the company not the individual - she'll be paid by the company, she isn't directly receiving the furlough payment. Link to post Share on other sites
Grecian 511 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 It's a small company and all their work has been cancelled, but once everything goes back to normal, they'll be okay. She in charge of ordering stock and parts and dealing with customers, so if she ignores her emails while on furlough, the company is screwed. Plus her boss is an arse, so while she's not being directly asked to work, there's a strong chance it'll be held against her if she doesn't. Link to post Share on other sites
Paid Members johnnyboy 4,210 Posted March 29, 2020 Paid Members Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 With an email chain between her and customers to show that she was working whilst furloughed that they'll also have over her. What an awkward position to be in. Link to post Share on other sites
Grecian 511 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 Yeah. She's basically being guilted into working. I've suggested she copies her boss into emails so she can prove the company knew she was working and if they tell her to stop, then she stops. She's too conscientious for her own good. Link to post Share on other sites
Loki 3,057 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 She should make the case that if he needs her to continue working, he'll have to un-furlough her and pay her full wage. Â If her boss doesn't agree, then as others have said she needs it in writing or in email so her arse is covered. I know there are some idiots out there who think they'll be able to get 80% of their wage bill paid and get away with it, but the HMRC isn't stupid. Â They'll get caught, and fined massively. Link to post Share on other sites
MPDTT 335 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 5 hours ago, Grecian said: So Mrs Grecian has been put on furlough, as of 1st April as part of the Government scheme. However, she works for a small company, and the owner has said he'd 'appreciate it enormously if people continued to work while on furlough'. All the paperwork she's been given states that she shouldn't work. Does anyone know if the Government will be running checks on this? If she does get caught out, is it on her or the company? There will not be much checking - resources spread too thin. Furloughing expressly states that they are being 'stood down' and there is no work to do. The rules do allow employers to cycle employees on furlough every 3 weeks - i.e furlough a group of people for 3 weeks, then bring them back and furlough another 3 for next 3 weeks and so forth -precisely to cover work that still needs doing. So she should not work at all when furloughed. However, if he company is topping up the furlough to ensure everyone is fully paid (i.e. difference between 80% / £2500 per month and full pay) then I can understand why some employers might think its a reasonable ask to to ask an employee to still complete some tasks - but strictly speaking, no they shouldn't. Link to post Share on other sites
Grecian 511 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 She's spoken to a couple of her workmates and they've decided as a group not to work while furloughed. The company isn't topping up her pay, its a small company owned by one arsehole. My shout is he wants to keep it running spending as little money as possible (to be fair, I totally understand why he's doing it) but a lot of them are very unhappy at being put in such a shit position. At least it's not just her now. Thanks for the advice, chaps. Link to post Share on other sites
Loki 3,057 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 Solidarity comrade! Link to post Share on other sites
David 4,042 Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 21 hours ago, Bicurious Dad said: government will cover 80% of wages. Will they though? Really? Or is like the claim the government makes that it will pay disability to those who are far too ill to work, only to then shaft them and force them to apply for jobs they can't really do? My belief is, if the government are happy to shaft the terminally and seriously ill, they'll have no issue fucking with the average Joe affected by the virus. Link to post Share on other sites
Bicurious Dad 1,014 Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 Bored again David? Link to post Share on other sites
David 4,042 Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 45 minutes ago, Bicurious Dad said: Bored again David? Just asking a question. Remember a month or so ago when everyone thought the Tory's were a bunch of self-centred, ridiculous, evil pricks? I personally know two people who's doctors claimed they were entirely unfit for any kind of work, yet this government saw fit to force them to continue the fucking charade of searching and applying for jobs. What's changed? Do we honestly believe they're going to pay the plebs to sit at home? I would pretty much bet my buy-to-let apartment on them adding numerous little loopholes that will see people who assumed they'd get help actually get fuck all. Anyone who is banking on 80% of their wages being covered by the government are mental. Their track record suggests that such payments will be incredibly difficult to claim, and that most ordinary people get shafted. I really hope to fuck that I'm wrong mind you, but this is the Tory's we're talking about. Link to post Share on other sites
Grecian 511 Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 Quick Mrs Grecian update: She told her boss she was unwilling to work whilst on furlough. His answer was everyone else was willing to (not a surprise, he pays crap money and is a bit of a nob, so most of the workers are recent graduates who don't know much about work and the law until they realise they can make more money elsewhere and leave). She refused to cave, so he's now switched her to three weeks on, three weeks off furlough. She stops work on Wednesday for three weeks.  Link to post Share on other sites
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